United for Peace and Justice sets course to end Iraq war

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/11302/1/378

United for Peace and Justice sets course to end Iraq war

ROSEMONT, Ill. — United for Peace and Justice, the national antiwar coalition, decided at its third national assembly here June 22-24 to make congressional action to end the Iraq war its number one priority in the coming months.

Over 300 peace activists representing labor, faith-based, youth, women, LGBT and community groups from 35 states and 184 UFPJ member organizations participated in the assembly, held on the outskirts of Chicago.

The assembly resolved to mobilize national and local antiwar actions culminating with simultaneous regional demonstrations on Oct. 27. It projected continued efforts to counter military recruitment and support military families, veterans and active duty service men and women; making connections between domestic crises and the cost of the war; and preparing for the 2008 presidential elections.

“UFPJ is bringing people into motion that have never been in the peace movement before,” UFPJ co-chair Judith Le Blanc told the World. “UFPJ is acutely aware of the connection between peace and justice. We cannot make any headway on economic or social justice without a change in foreign policy especially in ending the occupation and war in Iraq.” Organizing to defeat Republicans in the coming elections is key, she added.

Carl Davidson from Chicagoans Against War and Injustice welcomed the delegates, saying Chicago is an “antiwar town.” Davidson noted that across the country voters and elected officials are taking a stand against the war. He cited Chicago’s City Council, which voted 47-1 against the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and then, in 2005, voted by a strong majority to get out in the middle of the war. Last fall, Davidson noted, 80 percent of Chicago voters approved a ballot initiative calling for ending the Iraq war and bringing the troops home.

Kelly Campbell lost her brother-in-law on Sept. 11 and is with September 11th Families For Peaceful Tomorrows. “We don’t want other families to go through what we are going through,” she said, adding that we have to break down the idea, “Well they did it to us, and so we have to do it back to them.”


FULL story at link.